Mourning for Own Death:

Possible Duel?

Abstract

From the perspective of clinical practice with terminal patients, this paper questions the possibility of mourning. Nowadays social and cultural fenomena seem to interfere and even avoid the paths that could provide a holding net for mourning the end of life. A brief perusal of some Freudian concepts on the theme of death and the elaboration of mourning is madre. Technical changes and modifications of setting are also considered. The intense transference-countertransference movements and regression that caraterizes the analytic relationship with these patients, resistences which have their place in the process, and the strong cast of disavowal that accompanies patient and analyst, both submerged in a familiar context –medical, paramedical and cultural- make the work of the analytic couple difficult and sometimes even prevent it by means of strong intrusive enactment. After a few remarks in relation to the social function of death in the last centuries in comparison to the actual medicalization and technification of it, we ask once more: is it possible to mourn our own death? Could we die better if in our course of life we have worked out our death? Do we try to mourn our external and internal love objects or do we have to encourage the wish to live until the last moment? Are we facing a truncated mourning because it is difficult to surmise cathecting new goals? Finally we think about the ethical aspects and the role of the psychoanalyst in groups within our cultural and scientific disciplines that keep on questioning the problem of dying.